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Have you decided on a New Year’s Resolution yet? It’s not too late! Resolving to take better care of your skin is a great place to start improving your health: after all, it is the body’s largest organ.
Even though skin cancer is the world’s most common cancer — one in five Americans will develop the disease — it is also highly preventable. Here are three steps to take in 2024 to help lower skin cancer risk.
1. Cover Up
Clothing is the best defense against skin cancer, and the more skin you can cover, the better. But not all clothing is created equally: tight-knit fabrics (like denim) and synthetic materials (like polyester) offer better sun protection than loosely-woven fabrics and natural materials. Wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect your face, head and neck. To protect your eyes and the sensitive skin around them, wear UV-blocking sunglasses.
2. Use Sunscreen Every Day
Sunscreens that have earned the Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation are labeled Daily Use or Active.
One study has shown that daily use of an SPF (sun protection factor) 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent when used as directed. Sunscreens come in many formulas — including sprays, lotions and oils — so everyone can find one that fits their lifestyle. For daily use, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. For extended outdoor activity, choose a water-resistant, broad spectrum formula with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply one ounce of sunscreen to your body 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating. When sunscreen shopping, look for The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation, (pictured to the right) which assures consumers that a sun protection product performs as its label claims.
3. Check in With Your Skin
Skin cancers can be disfiguring and even deadly if allowed to progress. That’s why early detection is so important — skin cancer is very treatable if detected in its early stages. The estimated five-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 99 percent. The survival rate falls to 71 percent when the disease reaches the lymph nodes and 32 percent when the disease metastasizes to distant organs.
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends examining your skin from head-to-toe monthly, and seeing a dermatologist once a year for a professional skin exam. If you spot anything new, changing or unusual, make an appointment to see your doctor right away.
With just a few adjustments to your lifestyle, you can help lower your skin cancer risk and slow down skin aging caused by the sun. From all of us here at The Skin Cancer Foundation, we wish you a happy and healthy 2024!
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